Tools and Techniques of Modern Research

Paper Code: 
BOT 323
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

To develop an understanding of tools and techniques related to the field of plant sciences in the modern era. To increase the awareness of young learners about the various equipments and their uses to the fullest.

9.00
Unit I: 

Biostatistics: Scope of Biostastistics, exploring and presenting data, scales of measurement (nominal and ordinal), tables and graphs for nominal, ordinal and numerical data, summarizing data, measure of central tendency and dispersion.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

14.00
Unit II: 

Microscopy: Magnifiers and microscopes, simple and compound microscopes, bright field and dark field microscopy, confocal and deconvolution microscopy, microscopic measurements, phase contrast, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy – SEM, TEM.

9.00
Unit III: 

Histology of Tissues: Selection of material, chemical fixation – types of fixatives, mechanism of fixation, tissue dehydration – general protocol, rapid dehydration and dehydration using a graded solvent series of ethanol or acetone, infiltrating and embedding tissues, sectioning, mounting and staining, alternate methods of microtomy (cryotome, cryostat and vibratome).

14.00
Unit IV: 

Recombinant DNA technology: Basic Techniques: Agarose  gel electrophoresis,   SDS-PAGE, isolation and purification of genomic DNA, elution from gel, PCR, Blotting (Southern, Northern, Wesrern) HPLC, Autoradiography.                                                            

14.00
Unit V: 

Microbiological and Immunotechniques: Sterilization and disinfection: Preparation of media, sterilization, culture and transfer instruments, cultivation chambers, culture transfer techniques, pure culture techniques: streak plate, pour plate and spread plate method, media preparation-solid and liquid media, simple and complex media, nutrient agar slabs, slants and plates, staining techniques, simple and differential staining, enumeration using haemocytometer, bio chemical characterization – TSI test, IMViC test, ELISA, Radio Immunoassay (RIA), Ouchterlony latex agglutination test, monoclonal and polyclonal antibody production.

                                                                                                

References: 
  1. A Biology Guide to Principles and Techniques of Practical Biochemistry. Wilson, K & Goulding, KH. ELBS edition.
  2. Introduction to Instrumental Analysis. Robert Brown. Mc Graw Hill Internatiuonal Edition.
  3. Introduction to Practical Molecular Biology. Dabre, PG. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  4. Kuby Immunology (fourth edition). Golds, RA. Thomas J. Kintz, Barbara, A. Osborne, Freeman & Co., New York.
  5. Microbiological Applications: A Laboratory Manual in General Microbiology. Benson, HJ. WCG; WnC Brown Publishers.
  6. Microbiology, A Laboratory Manual. Cappuccino, JG and Sherman, N. Addison Wesley.
  7. Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology & Medicine. 1995. Win, K, Kim & Cseke. CRC Press, Florida 
  8. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. Sambrook,J Fritsch, EF & Maniatis, T. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York.
Academic Year: